Ember's Storm
This is a fanfiction, purely for entertainment and to satisfy ships or ideas that have been implied in the books. Ember’s Storm Intro This amazing cover was made by Light and Bright's Cover Store! Deep in the heart of Titan, a lurking underlayer to the Throne of Evenhard is stirred. Titan’s Throne is the only one inferior to the Council’s; whoever gets chosen is an automatic Councillor. And I, Ember Aya Evenhard, am next in line for the Throne, after my mother. Oralie Evenhard. It’s scary, being chosen. Attending the loud meetings where people bang their fists on the table, and where they eye my scrawny shoulders and ignore my points because I'm too young. To be honest, I’m tired of Titan. It’s murky, regal and dangerous. Battles rage out between the dwarves and the ogres at times, because the Council doesn’t bother to conjure up the treaty scrolls here and recite them to King Dimitar. They only do that at funerals for Alden Vacker. I know everything about the elves in the Lost Cities. Factually, Titan is a Lost City. But as Queen, I know that only 5 people other than the Councillors have crystals to here. As of now, I’m curled up on a corner of my expansive bed and reading my mother’s journal. She hasn’t visited for years. A hazard of being a Councillor, I assume. She probably forgot about me. I’ve gotten a letter from her once. It was about Sophie Foster and her grand adventures. Years after her death and the end of the Neverseen, I dream to be like her. I’m like her, blonde hair and dark emerald eyes. Genetically wrong eyes. Like Sophie. I want to be strong, powerful and never give up. Like a storm. Ember’s storm. CHAPTER ONE “Ember!” A bellow from downstairs awoke me the next morning. Mother’s journal flies onto the floor. Gently, I pick it up and slip it into the hidden cranny of my bed. Father hates mother. It was a duel back when he loved her, against Councillor Kenric. It was quite the battle, but Kenric’s head wasn’t in it’s best condition, I suppose. I’m not quite sure how Telepath’s work, being an Inflictor myself. It may have been me, but one night as I was praying to the Stars, I included Sophie. The next morning I woke up an Inflictor. “Ember Aya!” Father’s deep voice calls again, this time getting louder. I slip into a velvet gown and plait my hair, wrapping it around the ends of my tiara to keep it in place. I look into the mirror. I wish I was better at tying hair, but there’re only some brown strands sticking out, right? “Coming, Father!” I scurry out of my room and close the giant wooden door behind me. Father climbs up the last three stairs, slowly. “Go awaken your younger siblings. We must visit the Hive of Empress Pernille this noon.” Father swishes his royal cape backwards and heads back downstairs. I sigh and slip back into my slippers. Anadelle and Marionette have just awoken, based on the high-pitch bickering over the bathroom coming from their closed room. I sigh again and knock three times. “Anadelle and Mari! Open this door at once! And lower your voices as well.” I wait until the door quietly peeps open until I leave to enjoy my five minutes of privacy. “Sorry, Ember,” Mari says sweetly. She’s always been the calm one of the two. “Yeah, what she said,” Anadelle mutters. I roll my eyes and stalk down the hallway. Little brat. Anadelle once poured chocolate milk on my diamond earrings. They rusted. And after I got the crown, Anadelle glares at me and acts like I’m the one with a 5-year old posse that follows me. “Children! It’s almost noon!” Father calls. I gulp. I’ve been practicing to protect myself from hatchlings for years. Angry beasts. I’ve never been good at it. I keep my hand against the dagger resting in my pocket. Mother gave it to me. Ruby encrusted hilt, steel blade. I keep my wet eyes glaring. As the queen, poise and glance is everything. The people want to know they’re protected, and a fragile Empath such as my mother will not suffice. Someone with eerie emerald eyes and a ruby dagger will. And I know I will come out on top. CHAPTER TWO Next Chapter— “Hey,” Fabian says from my doorstep. “It’s almost time for the hatch, right?” He pats his mirror watch. “Should be,” I say with a smile, enrobing him in a hug. “Your next event is in five minutes,” his watch chirped. “Empress Pernille’s Hive! Oh my Lord, that’s a bit far away, isn’t it?” “What is that?” I ask, tapping the glass on his wrist. Nothing came up. Father doesn’t really like technology, therefore why I was not excited when Mari manifested as a Technopath. “Vertina. Grandma Edaline was giving me some stuff of Sophie’s. This turned up.” Fabian casually says his mother's name as if it's candy and not his deceased parent. If I were him, I'd be in tears. “I’m not a this. I’m a complex piece of technology that should be respected and listened to. Now, do you want to go to that Hive or not?” I roll my eyes. “Come. Help me pick out a sword and a shield.” Fabian follows me into the weapons room, a dingy place with a cold cement floor. And, of course, the weapon sets. Everyone is supposed to use a set of weapons, since the collaboration of the bonds burnt into their core work together to create a stronger defense and offense. But at my inauguration, I’m allowed to use any combination. And the Stars will align the bonds for me. Somehow. “Rubies,” I mumble. “Mother gave me a ruby dagger, so I would like to have a ruby shield. Cooperation.” Shields and daggers have a mutual connection. Having similar studs on them provide strong defense, which is why I want rubies. “Sapphire sword hilt?” Fabian asks, unsheathing a sword from a nearby shelf. “That was Father’s,” I say shortly. “Maybe amethyst, those give me strength.” “Maybe... emerald,” Fabian whispers. I freeze. The legend that I was born on Emerald Eve, the only day a year our citizens were truly happy, had disappeared a while back. The whole idea of Emerald Eve has gone too. But my name and my eyes didn’t stop the myth. I clutch the shield closer. “Fabian,” I say abruptly, “follow me.” I lead him behind a heavy rack of chest plates and into a small alcove, where a heavy coffin rests. “That doesn’t contain a body, right” Fabian asks. “''Only keep secrets in things people would never look at''.” Sophie Foster's dying words had to be dramatic, didn't they? “Yeah,” I say. “It holds a sword. The Emerald Sword.” “Who’s was it?” I take a breath. “Sophie Elizabeth Foster's.” CHAPTER THREE Next Chapter— “A rare set,” I continue. “Someone ages ago welded it with gold. I was waiting to use it.” “What other time is as good as now?” Fabian countered. “Emerald and ruby are one of the most powerful combinations on Titan. You need to be ultimate.” “People’s expectations are low after my mother and father,” I say softly, stepping into the small amount of yellow light in the cranny of the cobblestone room. “''I could reset their standards.” Fabian lifts up the sword. “Use it.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Father’s scary alternative to being nervous is drinking lemonade. I hate lemonade. ''If you’re scared, do what you hate. Then you’ll see what’s scarier. Father used to say that all the time. He still does, now that I think about it. I decide to test his limits. Hey, I have an emerald sword! He can’t stop me! My thoughts whirl and outwit any retort I could give them. “Where’s the lemonade?” I ask. Father’s eyebrows shoot up. He bends down on one knee. “Ember. I have been waiting to see you on the day you prove your worth. Don’t be scared. Prove that you’re better than everyone else.” He snaps his fingers. A fancy cup of lemonade sits on the table in front of me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “''Ember Aya! Ember Aya! Ember Aya''!” The crowd cheered, fully decked with emerald shirts and tiaras to mimic mine. I grip the hilt of my dagger, embedded in my loose, but regal, shimmery gold gown. It’s one of the cleanest gowns I have, as the water in Titan is dirty. I wave slowly to get them to quiet down. It’s a small arena, built around the Hive. I draw my sword. Every time a new king or queen is about to battle a hatchling, they’re blindfolded. I don’t know the process. Just blackness, and a smooth silk across my eyes. My feet blistering in jeweled shoes. The cold air fluttering through my dress. Then, a feral growl. CHAPTER FOUR- Special Edition Anadell: Someone yanks the blindfold off Em’s eyes, right as the hatchling jumped towards her. Mari’s reciting a prayer to the Stars, making sure her swords align and whatnot. I keep my eyes on the hatchling, making sure to Inflict whatever I could if it hit her. I might not be happy that Em became Queen. Titan doesn’t need a ruler. It’s almost nothingness anyway. But I know Em is my sister, and I’m proud of her. I love her as much sisterly love can go, although sibling rivalry tears us apart. Today can’t be Ember Aya Evenhard’s last day. It needs to be her first day. As Queen of Titan. Mari: “Let her sets function. Let the Stars align the sword the Great Sophie Foster used so many years ago. Let the blessings of the Planet Gods fall on Ember’s shoulders. Make sure she stays alive through her journey.” I finish my prayer with a quick salute up at the blue sky and sit down again, glancing at Anadelle. She’s staring quite hard at the beast attacking Em’s ankles, her deep blue eyes enrobing themselves with red. I slip one of the cuffs I made on to Anadelle’s wrist. She doesn’t like this invention, but it restrains her Inflicting. No storm can fall on our family’s reputation, and seeing her anger almost ripping out of her trembling body is close enough to letting her kill that animal piece by piece. Suddenly the beast lunges back as Em tries to sneak behind and cut it’s back. But the beast tramples her feet making her fall back. There’s a collective gasp, and I lose my grip on holding the bracelet blocking Anadelle’s Inflicting. Startled, she lets loose. Her red, pulsing anger goes straight at where the hatchling was— a second ago. Instead, Em’s collapsed right in the path, unable to move. Right in the line of fire. Fabian: I grasp hold of the small chair in front of me and swing myself over. Ember is stuck to the ground. Blast him with water! ''I transmit, making sure it was loud. She seemed to be paralyzed, for whatever reason. I gulp, and try to use my conjuring ability. Sophie Foster-Sencen was powerful. She also happened to be my mother. I inherited her telepathy and Grandma Edaline’s conjuring. But I’m terrible at both. I moved to Titan when I was little, trying to forget my mom. My dad is in terrible grief. Sometimes I forget him, too. I conjure up a rope, and toss it across the stadium, feeling my hands burn as I zip line across, landing right next to Ember. And she’s barely breathing. CHAPTER FIVE- Continuation of special edition (last special edition chapter) '''Ember’s Father:' I rise to my feet as I spot Fabian Reynaldo flying to Ember’s limp body. Mari’s using her ability, which I’m highly disappointed in, to stop Anadelle from Imflicting any more, but the damage is done. “Everyone be silent!” My Vociferator ability kicks in and makes it loud. Titan Royalty normally gets to manifest during another window opening period, from ages 30-100. Unluckily for Ember, she may not even make it there. “Yes King?” Someone nearby shouts. I make sure to capture their attention while Empress Pernille runs into the battleground, where the hatchling is about to feast on its newest companion. I rack my brains to think of something to say. My gaze drifts onto the battlefield, as unfortunately, Empress Pernille is having trouble battling her young. And the second my gaze hits the empty side of the battlefield, I spot something that makes me gasp. Oralie Evenhard. Oralie: I slip on some silver heels and a ruby colored dress, set with large sapphires around the waist and neckline, tiny diamonds dotting the bottom and the skirt. It’s been hard, being away from Titan, stuck in a pink palace because I was too lazy to get any other color pre-ordered from Mysterium. And because of the childish standard I’d set, I’ve been “forced” to wear pink frills because that looks professional. It’s also been hard wearing the fake blonde ringlet that Mari made to give me Empathy, while instead I was hiding something bigger. It’s impossible to manifest twice. But I manifested. Twice. As an unregistered Pyrokinetic. TO BE CONTINUED, CHAPTER EIGHT WILL BE THE GRAND FINALE OF THE SPECIAL EDITION, I PROMISE!!! CHAPTER SIX I blink my eyes open, a sapphire and ruby colored blur moving around the room. I sit up, my back making a splintering sound. “Good. You’re awake.” The woman, her back turned towards me, bustles around the alcohol swabs and cotton pads. I must be in a Forbidden City. Titans don’t have many doctors. And going to the Lost Cities is a Lost Cause. I have no doubt that this lady is a human doctor. I quickly wipe the drops of water moving to the sway of my hands. “No need to block the ability, EmBear,” the woman says. My whole body freezes. I know where I saw that dress. I know why her walk and hair looks so familiar. I know why she doesn’t want me seeing her face. I know why she’s here. I know this woman. Because she’s my mom. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I wipe a falling tear. “You came back? For my inauguration?” Mother nodded, a fake ringlet falling out of her head. “I can’t believe you thought we’d be happy you left us for a barbie palace and thought it’d be okay to come back when I fight a hatchling with Sophie Foster’s sword.” I scoff and splash some hot water to soothe my back. Mother dabs a towel on my burning back. She quickly instructs me to create a cocoon of cold water and set my back inside it and close it around my waist while we wait for Libby. “I’ve missed you, Em,” she says softly. The blue in her eyes seems wilted after these years. “You’re my daughter, my flesh and blood, and I’m hurt you’re angry at me. I know I left you, but it was an opportunity that I was willing to take. I realize it was a stupid decision now, but I was hoping you’d let the past go.” I rest my head on a warm water bottle to ease the bruising. “Right. Sorry. You left and made me mad, and now you’re back and I’m happy. Right,” I repeat. Mother rolls her eyes. “It’s fine. I shouldn’t have come. I thought you’d be happy if I was there, cheering you on.” I toss a water ball in between my hands. It somehow lands on her glittery shoes. It wasn't meant to hit that. I shoot another one up at the ceiling. It rebounds and lands on my face, washing glittery elixirs off my face and revealing my sore skin underneath. Oh no. '' ''I’m losing control. CHAPTER SEVEN “Em?” Mother asks after what feels like eternity of scrubbing sticky Glitter Lash elixirs off my face. “Have a bottle of Youth,” her brows furrow as she says it. “Looks like the hatchling cut deeper than I—“ “Sorry to bother you, Councillor Oralie,” a pretty woman curtsied prettily, “and Queen Ember Aya. But Empress Pernille would like to meet with you. Urgently.” She ducked out of the room, the small troll entering the room. “Again, I apologize, Queen and Councillor,” Pernille murmured as she entered the room, “but drastic measures must be taken to cure this hole in our past, before it rips the seam entirely.” Mother nods, pressing her lips together. Pernille takes a breath. “That hatchling was not a troll. It was a one-of-a-kind decoy, made by the Neverseen.” ' ' “They’re still around?” I repeat. “They lost the battle, assassinated the Great Sophie Foster, lost again, and want to kill me?” “Sophie Foster may Rest In Peace,” Pernille said, “but the Neverseen want much the opposing result. If you disturb the plan our nations have been following and keep the Foster legacy, we’ll all be in peril. But if we stop the legacy, our citizens will ruin themselves much more than the Neverseen could imagine. For this reason, I’ve brought in Fabian Reynaldo, Sophie and Keefe’s son. I believe you two have had run-ins before?” I nod as Fabian walks inside, a large gash bandaged up to his shoulder. “It’s fine,” he says as I open my mouth. “We need to stop the Neverseen. We need to stop the Neverseen, we don’t have time to play with.” My mother nods gravely, as I reach up to play with the crown I was supposed to wear. My hand reaches nothing. Mother winces. “Titan’s crown is gone.” ' ' I pace and touch my head. “If I tap into my moisture levels at the time, it should tell me the moisture of the person who stole it, right? I could trace it back.” Mother sighs. “No one consistently keeps track of their moisture levels, EmBear.” I roll my eyes. “If everyone got a scroll saying that the Foster legacy was to visit Elwin on this day, of this year, would people do it? Yes. Because it’s the Foster legacy. Not the Evenhard legacy.” Mother taps her chin thoughtfully. “Your aunt is a Vacker… how would that work?” I groan. “Fabian, Mother, Fabian. The only living Foster left.” “You’re not saying… just to tap into moisture levels?” “Yes. As of this moment, I plan to marry my only-boyfriend Fabian Reynaldo.” CHAPTER EIGHT- Last chapter Guess the POV!! ' ' “Ember Aya Evenhard, will you marry me?” I hear Fabian ask. It’s the formal way. After working things out between them, Fabian and Ember decided that marrying was a good idea. They’re set to join the army of trolls, dwarves and non-rebel ogres battling the Neverseen tomorrow evening. I will be there. After the Neverseen holding me hostage for 13 years, I’ve grown from wild, angry, sad, hopeless, and after hearing Ember’s storm coming to save us all, I’ve finally found my ground. Tomorrow will be multiple weddings. There were many proposals in Alluveterre, the Neverseen’s new hideout. Fitz proposed to Linh, but Wylie also proposed. Drama… Linh chose Wylie. Keefe proposed to me, and Tam awkwardly asked Biana. Dex decided to work by himself and become a Councillor, as much as he hated the nobility. Oralie will probably give him some pointers. Just to clarify your urging need to find out my love life. As long as Harry Potter went on, it had to end. So does my story. I can feel my death coming on… not all elves have my genetics. I will not survive battling the Neverseen. My story ends here. But Ember will continue it. After sticking through so much, I know we’ll all survive our futures, as long as they may be. We will conquer our problems, and make sure that everyone follows the right path. My human parents have passed, Amy moving to the Lost Cities, living with Grady, Edaline, Silveny and Greyfell as I was gone. Our lives have changed for the better, and I know. I will always be the Keeper of the Lost Cities. Announcements There may or may not be a sequel! Check the discussions board. Also, I'm not very proud of the content in the last two chapters, but I'm not going to be editing this anymore. So, yay! Note: The italics didn't transfer from docs to here, so keep that in mind. Anyways, thanks for reading! I appreciate the time you took to read this. Please comment on this story, and based on my critiques, I could create a Moment Contest like I did on Sophie Sencen. Let me know!Category:Fanfiction Category:Original Characters Category:Future Category:TheBookShelf